Rotary motor.



L. W. BUOHER.

ROTARY MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1911, 1,033,985. Patented July 30, 1912.

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L. WBZzC/eer wmmw L. W. BUOHER.

ROTARY MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1911.

1,033,985. Patented July 30, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PuNoBRAPN 60., WASHINGTON D c L. W. BUGHER.

ROTARY MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1911.

1,033,985, Patented July 30, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

LEVI W. BUCHEB, OF WASHINGTON, DTSTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ROTARY MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

App1ication filed November 6, 1911. Serial No. 658,818.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI W. BUOHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Tmprovements in Rotary Motors, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention is an improved rotary motor which may be operated bycompressed air, steam or other fluid under pressure and consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

One object of my invention is to effect improvements in the constructionof the rotor.

Another object is to efiect improvements in the construction of theradially movable pistons which are carried by the rotor.

Another object is to provide improved means for packing the rotor so asto prevent loss of pressure between the rotor and the casing in which itrevolves.

Another object of the invention is to effect improvements in the meansfor packing the pistons.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motorconstructed in accordance with my invention, showing the same inconnection with an air compressor which is operated by the motor; Fig. 2is an elevation of the motor on a plane at right angles to that of Fig.1 and showing the rotor shaft in cross section; Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse sectional view of the motor; Fig. 4 is an elevation of therotor, detached from the casing and showing the rotor shaft in crosssection; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the rotor; Fig. 6 is a detailperspective view of one of the pistons; Fig. 7 is a detail transversesectional view on the plane indicated by the line aa of Fig. 3; and Fig.8 is a detail perspective view of one of the packing heads of the rotor.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings 1 show a suitable base 1 on which arestandards 2 which are provided with bearings 3 for a rotor shaft4. Theshaft is shown as provided with a flywheel 5 and also with a pulley 6.An air compressor is shown at 7, the shaft of which is connected to therotor shaft 4: by means of a variable speed gear, the elements of whichare indicated at 8, 9, 10 and 11. This speed gear is specificallydescribed in a co-pending application for Letters Patent of the UnitedStates for improvements in rotary motors, executed by me of even dateherewith. The rotor 12 of the motor is secured on the shaft 4 andoperates in a casing 13. The said casing is circular in form, comprisesa pair of circular heads or walls 14 and an annulus 15 which forms theperipheral portion of the casing. This annulus is interposed between theheads and is secured thereto by means of a suitable number of bolts. Theouter side of the annulus is circular in form, but its inner side isslightly elliptical, thereby providing diametrically opposed crescentshaped compressed air or steam spaces 16 and abutments 17 between thesaid spaces.

The rotor 12 is provided with radially movable pistons 18 which arecarried thereby and are disposed at ninety degrees apart. The casing ishere shown as supported by standards 19 which rise from the base 1. Thediameter of the circular rotor is substantially equal to the leastdiameter of the casing, between the points 17, so that the motor fluidpressure chambers 16 are on opposite sides of the rotor. Supply ports20, 21 are provided for the casing at diametrically opposite points,opposite the abutments 17 and are respectively provided with oppositelyextending branch passages 22, 23 and 24:, 25. A controlling three-wayvalve plug 26 is seated at the intersection of the port 20 and itspassages 22, 23. The passage 22 terminates in inlet and outlet ports 27,28. The passage 23 terminates in inlet and outlet ports 29, 30. Thepassage 24: terminates in inlet and outlet ports 31, 32 and the passage25 terminates in inlet and outlet ports 33, 34:. A three-way valve plug35 is located at the intersection of the inlet port 21 with its passages24, 25. A three-way valve plug 36 is located at the intersection of thepassage 22 and its ports 27, 28 and the other passages 23, 24. and 25are respectively provided with similarly located and constructedthree-way valve plugs 37, 38 and 39. Each of the said three-way valveplugs is provided with an outwardly extending shaft 40, which shafts aremounted in suitable bearings and are respectively provided, at theirouter ends, with crank disks 26, 36 37, 35 38' and 39 A disk 41 ismounted for oscillation on a sleeve 42, through which the rotor shaftextends and is provided with a radial arm 43 which extends downwardlytherefrom and is connected by a rod 44 to a reversing lever 45 which ismounted on one of the standards 19. The said standard has a toothedsegment 46 and the reversing lever has a locking dog 47 which co-actswith the toothed segment to lock the said lever and, hence, also thedisk at any desired position. The disk is connected to the various crankdisks of the valve plugs by means of longitudinal extensible oradjustable rods 48. It will be understood that the lever and theconnections hereinbefore described enable the valve plugs to besimultaneously operated so that they may be set as required to cause therotor to revolve in either direction. The casing is provided atdiametrically opposite points with exhaust ports 419 which arecontrolled by manually operated valve plugs 50 which have their stemsprovided with hand-wheels 51, whereby they may be turned to opened orclosed position, as may be required. These valved exhaust ports enablecompressed motor fluid to be exhausted from the chambers 16. After themotor has been stopped this enables the motor to be the more readilystarted again.

In practice, a suitable controlling valve, as described in my co-pendingapplication before mentioned, will be employed in connection with therotor, to cause the compressed air or motor fluid to be usedexpansively. This valve is located in a casing indicated at 52 and has acrank arm 53 which is connected, by a pitman 54, to a crank arm 55 on apinion 56, which pinion is suitably mounted and is engaged by a spurgear57 that turns with the rotor shaft. A suitable centrifugal governorisalso indicated at 58, the pulley 59 of which is engaged by an endlessbelt 60 which is driven from the rotor shaft.

The rotor 12 comprises a peripheral or rim member 61 and a pair of headsor disks 62, the edges of which are secured in annular recesses 63 withwhich the rim member is provided, as by means of screws 64:. The rimmember of the rotor is provided with radial recesses 65 in which thepistons 18 operate and shoulders 66 are hence formed between the saidrecesses, the shoulders being segment-a1 in form. The inner ends of therecesses 65 are formed by curved inwardly extending portions 67 withwhich the rim member of the rotor is provided, these portions 67 havingopenings 68 in which the radially disposed piston rod 69 operates. Therotor also has a hub member 70 which is keyed or otherwise suitablysecured on the rotor shaft, the disks or plates 62 being secured to thehub member by means of screws 71. In the space between the plates 62 ofthe rotor are bell cranks 72,

73, the pivots of which are indicated at 74, 75. One of these bellcranks is used for each pair of the pistons, the piston rods beingpivoted, at their inner ends, to the arms of the bell cranks. One rod ofeach pair of pistons comprises a pair of telescopically united members,one of which is provided with a stop nut 76. A coil spring 77 bearsbetween this stop nut and a stop shoulder formed on the other member ofsaid rod, the ofiice of the spring being to, form a cushion to take uplost motion between the pistons of each pair and cause both of them tobe, at all times, in close engagement with the inner surface of theannulus of the casing. The outer ends of the piston rods are pivotallyconnected to the inner ends of the pistons as at 78.

I will now describe means for packing the rotor andembodying specificimprovements. V s

The rotor annulus 61 is provided, in each side, with an outer annularrecess 79 and an inner annular recess 80. There is a flange 81 at theouter side of each recess 79, a flange 82 at the outer side of eachrecess 80, which partly overhangs the recess 79 and there is also anoverhanging flange 83 at the inner side of each recess 80. The ends ofthe shoulders 66 of the rotor are rounded, as at'84, and the saidshoulders are provided in opposite sides with transverse, spaced slots85. On each shoulder of the rotor is a packing head 86 which comprises apacking band 87, made of spring steel plate or other suitable material.Each packing band consists of a pair of segmental sides 88 and a pair ofsubstantially semi-circular ends 89, the sides and ends being united andthe packing band being preferably an integral structure. The sides ofthe packing band are concavo-convex in cross section and flare outwardlyso that they project, at their outer edges, laterally from the shouldersof the rotor and bear against the casing in the angles between the headsand the annulus of the casing. On the inner sides of the side portionsof each packing band are reinforced packing spring plates 90 which areformed at their outer sides with transversely disposed inwardlyextending wings 91 which operate in the transverse slots of theperiphery of the rotor. The inner edges of the sides of the packing bandand of the reinforced packing plates are placed in the recesses 79 ofthe rotor and are engaged by the overhanging flanges 82. Screws 92secure the packing heads to the rotor rim or annulus and cause the sidesof the packing heads to be pressed against the flanges 81, which servesto spring them outwardly as shown in Fig. 7. The ends 89 of the packingheads, which are semi-circular in formand hollow, fit on the roundedends of the shoulders so that the shoulders are covered by the packingheads, both at their sides and at their ends. Supplemental packingsegments 93, which are concavoconvex plates of steel or other suitablematerial have their inner edges secured in the recesses 80 by screws 94:and engaged by the overhanging flanges 83, the said supplemental packingsegments engaging the inner surfaces of the heads of the casing, attheir outer edges. The wings 91 close the spaces between the flaringsides of the packing heads and the sides of the rotor annulus and,hence, prevent compressed air or other motor fluid from passing throughsuch spaces from one chamber 16 to the other.

Each piston 18 has concave sides in which are secured concavo-convexouter and inner packing plates 95, as by means of screws 96. The outeredges of these packing plates bear against the sides or heads of thecasing. The curved ends of the packing heads 86 fit into the concavesides of the packing plates 95 on the front and rear sides of thepistons. Each piston is provided, at its outer end, with a similar pairof concavo-convex packing plates 97, which are secured as by means ofscrews 98. The ends of these packing plates 97 bear against the sides ofthe casing at points beyond the outer ends of the plates 95 and theedges of the said plates 97 bear against the inner periphery of theannulus of the motor casing. It will be understood that pressure of themotor fluid in the chambers of the casing assists the inherentelasticity of the various packing plates in keeping the edges of thepacking plates in close, fluid-tight engagement with the sides andannulus of the casing.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In a rotary motor, the combination of a casing, a rotor havingperipheral radial recesses and segmental shoulders between saidrecesses, the ends of the said shoulders which form sides of therecesses, being convex, radially movable pistons carried by the rotorand disposed in said recesses, the sides of the said pistons beingconcave, means to project the pistons, curved packing plates on thesides of the pistons and converging at the corners of the pistons, theconcave faces of the said packing plates on the front and rear sides ofthe pistons being presented to the convex ends of the shoulders andthose of the plates on the other sides of the pistons being presented tothe sides of the casing, and curved packing plates on the outer ends ofthe pistons and presenting their edges to the inner peripheral wall ofthe casing, the edges of the other packing plates being presented to thesides of the casing.

2. In a rotary motor, the combination of a casing, a rotor havingperipheral radial recesses and segmental shoulders between saidrecesses, radially movable pistons carried by the rotor and disposed insaid re cesses and provided with packing devices and packing headscarried by the rotor, each packing head comprising a segmental springband, placed on one of said shoulders of the rotor, the sides and endsof said bands respectively engaging the sides and ends of saidshoulders, the sides of the bands flaring outwardly from opposite sidesof the rotor and engaging the sides of the casing at their outer edges.

3. In a rotary motor, the combination of a casing, a rotor havingperipheral radial recesses and segmental shoulders between saidrecesses, and having transverse slots, radially movable pistons carriedby the rotor and. disposed in said recesses and provided with packingdevices, and packing heads carried by the rotor, each packing headcomprising a segmental spring band placed on one of said shoulders ofthe rotor,

the sides and ends of said band respectively engaging the sides and endsof said shoulders, the sides of the band also flaring outwardly fromopposite sides of the rotor and engaging the sides of the casing attheir outer edges, and being further provided with inwardly extendingwings which operate in the transverse slots of the rotor shoulders.

4. In a rotary motor, the combination of a casing, a rotor havingperipheral radial recesses and segmental shoulders between saidrecesses, radially movable pistons carried by the rotor, disposed insaid recesses and provided with packing devices, and packing headscarried by the rotor, each packing head comprising a segmental springband placed on one of said shoulders of the rotor, the sides and ends ofsaid bands respectively engaging the sides and ends of said shoulders,the sides of the band also flaring outwardly from opposite sides of therotor and engaging the sides of the casing at their outer edges, andmeans to close the spaces between the sides of the band and the sides ofthe rotor to prevent motor fluid from passing from one chamber of thecasing to another.

5. In a rotary motor, the combination of a casing, a rotor havingperipheral radial recesses and segmental shoulders between saidrecesses, the ends of said shoulders forming the sides of said recessand being rounded, packing heads carried by the rotor and eachcomprising a segmental spring band placed on one of said shoulders andhaving oppositely flaring sides engaging the sides of the casing andsubstantially semi-circular ends fitting on the rounded ends of theshoulder, and radially movable pistons carried by the rotor, disposed insaid recesses and having curved packing plates on their sides and outerends, the side packing plates engaging the ends of the packing heads andthe sides of the casing and the end packing plates engaging the innerperipheral wall of the easmg.

6. In a rotary motor, the combination of a casing, a motor havingperipheral radial recesses and segmental shoulders between saidrecesses, said shoulders being provided with side recesses and flangesoverhanging the inner sides of said side recesses, and packing plates inthe side recesses of the rotor and 10 having their inner portionsengaged by the said overhanging sides.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

LEVI W. BUCHER. Witnesses:

J. W. GARNER, J. W. MULLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Iatents.

Washington, D. G.

